Today's Poems

After our discussion about stereoypes and reading a poem called Major Differences, here is a selection of today's poems.

Columns
Madoka

Indians, whites, blacks and coloureds
I lost my love
My life has turned pitch black
Why can't I marry her?

She has skin the colour of snow
Lips the colour of roses
Lovely straight blond hair
She is high and I am low.

The columns trap me
Into the deep, dark world
Unable to see light
Unable to love.

Here I am sitting all alone
In an attic 3m wide
With nobody to care for
Nobody to cling to.

I lie down on my uncomfortable mattress
I fall asleep with my aggrieved heart inside me
I hear someone calling
Who could it be?

Life in the Slave Market
Max C

An iron chain around my neck
Scars on my back
A whip in the hand of the master
Children cowering in terror.

"$600" yelled the master, "$600 for a slave"
I am terrified
I look down and gasp
It is a ring with silver keys
The master is talking
I unlock the chain and run.

The master turns and yells "Get the slave!"
"$300 for anyone who gets him!"
I'm sprinting my heart out
I dart down the alley
Cornered against a wall
A man in a black suit grabs my arm
A life of chores awaits.

 

The Love - Seat
Rosie

As I stand and stare at her,
Beautiful skin
Not a crinkle to be torn,
Brown eyes glistening
From start to finish.
Perfect shaped nose
Crazy black hair
Brimming with wild dreadlocks
Swinging as she wanders through the gardens.
Perfectly spotless toenails, gently caressed by the toe brush.

I edge towards her
Wondering if she'll notice me,
I flatten my hair,
Brush a speck of dirt off my nose
And carry on...

She's perched on one of the love-seats
Gazing upwards
Watching,
Waiting for the clouds to come alive.

I drop down next to her,
She stares at me
Her face expressionless
She figured me out
Eyes skimming,
Searching my face.
"Who would want me?" she asked, her voice calm and soft.
"I do" I whispered,
Then it happened...

Major Differences
Sam C

As my heart is dragged upon the ground
I am neglected and aggrieved,
An iron handcuff around my ankle
I must do my terrible chores.

The master yells "You're late! Come here for a whipping!"
The pain is like nothing every experienced.
"Crack!" goes the whip
I must do my chores.

I see a hole in the floor
Leads down, down, down
Where does it go? I don't care
Anywhere but this terrifying place.

Three words,
The Underground Railroad.

My Life
Emma

My life is ruined
It's being dragged on the ground
As I feel neglected and terrified
My life turns pitch black
As I drift into hate.

My chores are right there
I cannot obey
I want to fight it
But I am trapped.

Every night
I lay on the restless rug
In the attic
Nothing
But me in the room.

Where has my life of a child gone?

Slavery
Conal

As my soul is being dragged to hell
My master's call hollers in the air
"Hurry to it!"

My chores await me
I have to obey
If not I will be punished
Helpless in chains.

As I do my jobs
My thoughts come to my head
Like every other day
How will it end?

Should I run away?
But there is nowhere to escape
My daydream abates
As my mistress appears.

I am stuck
In this miserable place.

Why?
Evelyn

Whenever I imagine roaming free
Away from this jail cell
My dreams are destroyed by chores
Looming over me
Beckoning to me.

My feelings are neglected
No one really cares
My life as a slave
Every action,
Every move,
I'm being watched.

Why is this happening?
Tell me, tell me why?
Why does it matter if you're black or white?
Why does it start a fight?
Why am I here?
Why am I being blamed for something I didn't do?
Why?

Major Differences
Tuhuru

As I look down
I feel neglected and hopeless
Staring at people
As I feel hollow.

I can roam around
And still my heart is pumping
Nothing to give, nothing to take
I am locked forever.

Biking gangs
Tattoos on their arms and legs
A type of gang picture or name
And weapons.

I cannot escape this miserable world.

Trapped  
Holly

Trapped in a miserable box
Struggling to fight my fears
Scars like train tracks make a trail along my back
Sitting on an old hard cushion.

Chores await me
Shouting and commands get closer
Flooding into my ears
I try my hardest to get up but my body aches all over.

Misery lays along the concrete floor
I hear the faint slapping
But I feel it more
I try to dream of freedom but only get nightmares

Nightmares of my enemy.

 

Be Yourself

Lyndon

Big, huge men on their motorcycles

In the middle of the night

Riding around the city

Tattoos all over their skin

The street kids say run

The men feel neglected

They are really sad.

The kids run, the men stop

The kids also stop

The kids teased the men and the men feel aggrieved

Kids whispering about the drawings on their skin.

But then one of the men shouts

"It's time you should know how to be yourself."